Once upon a December
by Whovian-CapitolGirl
Summary: She slowly sunk her fangs into my neck. The man in the room slumped forwards. So this is how I die... (Warning... I own every part of this story and if you dare to steal it there will be DIRE CONSEQUENCES!) Please read and review! :) Rated M for violence
1. Prologue

_**Hi guys! Me again, but this time, there will be no Hunger Games only the amazing 'Immortales mundi'. So please enjoy. **_

_**Copyright: I do own these characters and I would appreciate it if nobody stole this story.**_

_**Whovian-CapitolGirl **_

_Once upon a December_

_Prologue- Sweet Dreams_

_As I sit up in bed, I notice that my glass doors have already developed a thin layer of condensation. I grab my phone and check the time. Great, 1:43AM. I walk over to the French doors and quietly open them. As I do, a sudden gush of icy wind slaps me for my idiocy. I gasp in pain and run to the mirror on my dresser to find a blood red mark on my cheek. I sigh and then look around, alarmed at how loud my usually quiet voice seems in the impending silence._

_When I deduce that nothing has been disturbed, I snag my full-length black cloak and my phone. I check my appearance and find myself in a tight boob-tube white dress that goes to mid-mid-thigh. A white choker surrounds my neck and white sleeves lie on my arms, flourishing out at the wrist and ending just above my elbow. Hmm. I guess I forgot to change when I got in. I take my hair out of its complex design and let it fall to my waist as I step into the blizzard._

_My white hair flows in the wind as I grip the railing on the edge of the balcony. Suddenly strong muscular arms come around my waist. I moan in pleasure and turn around, only to find that the company is not who I expected. A gag in placed in my mouth to silence my screams and I find something coming in contact with my face repeatedly. A fist. As the floor ascends towards my falling body I hear a man's voice, tinged with pain and grief, screaming my name. "Lily! Lily!"_

_And then I hear her. Her voice, as soft as silk, starts to speak. "Hey hunny, how's the death wish? Still intact?" I go to cover my ears, only to find my wrists bound. She kneels in front of me, her black hair wrapping around her throat, protecting her one weakness. She moves to sit on her knees and sings the one tune I don't want to hear, especially from her. _

Sweet dreams, are made of this,

Who am I, to disagree?

I've travelled the world, and the seven seas,

Everybody's looking for something.

_My ears start to bleed into my hair as the man inside my room screams once more, attempting to cover his ears as she pauses and then starts to serenade me with another verse of her carcinogenic song._

Some of them want to use you.

_She giggles at my pathetic struggles and yanks my head to look at the tortured man inside._

Some of them want to be used by you.

_Another giggle, but this time she flies next to him and steps on his injured leg with a snap, making him yell out in pain before she walks back to me and twitters again._

Some of them want to abuse you.

_She smiles menacingly and pulls the hair off my neck. She slowly sinks her fangs into the vein in my neck. I yelp and one thought crosses my mind. So this is how I die. The man in the room slumps forward, unconscious. My eyelids flutter and just before I pass out, she sends the final line of her ballad to me telepathically. _

Some of them want to be abused.

"_Lily! Get up, now! You're going to be late for school!" I jump as I awake from the nightmare and start pulling on a pair of worn-out jeans and a plain Tee. I yank my hair into a ponytail and yell, "I'm coming." _

_God that was a creepy dream._


	2. Chapter 1-Hunting

_Once upon a December _

Hey guys! Whovian-CapitolGirl here. Sorry about the delay, I've been on a holiday. But, the holidays start this weekend, so hopefully loads of updates for you! Right, just thought I would mention, all of the phrases during the flashback are in Romanian, so if you want to know what they mean, just go on google translate (like I did heehee) and if that doesn't work just PM me. Please review, or if not follow/favourite. If anyone doesn't like something, or has any ideas for the story, please tell me!

Sorry about the length of this chapter! No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't think of anything else to add! I won't keep you any longer xx

_Chapter 1– Hunter_

"_Lily! Hurry up, you'll be late!" mother screams from the kitchen. "I'M COMING!" I yell back, squeezing into my favourite black jeans and vest top. I yank on some flats and run downstairs, slamming my bedroom door shut. I leap from the top of the stairs and land swiftly at the bottom, my little brother staring at me. "Mom says you're late." He says, as if it's the most normal thing ever. "Well I'm not. I have a car." I reply, watching angrily as he raises one eyebrow and smirks. He pauses for a second before answering, "What if it breaks down?" I sigh and cross my arms, flicking my snowy hair behind my shoulders. "Then I can run." He once again raises his eyebrow and then puts his hands on his hips. "You won't make it in time."_

_I smile as I open the back front door. "You underestimate my abilities kid," I say, and shut the door, running down the driveway to unlock my car._

_As I climb into my green VW Bug, I wrap my black scarf tighter around my neck, despite the scorching temperature of 35 degrees. I switch on the engine and much to my horror, the radio come blasting the one tune that makes me freeze with horror. Sweet dreams._

_I gasp at the melancholy song and leap out of the car. I would much rather risk collapsing in the heat wave than re-live my malevolent nightmare. Tying my hair into my signature fish-tail plait, I grab a black beanie from my bag, and sprint down the dirt track leading to the hell they call school. Thank god I left early._

_It is only when I arrive at the woods that I slow my pace. I don't know why, but I have always loved the forest. It is the one place where I feel safe. Looking at the birds hopping about on the trees lengthy fingers reminds of my father. I wish he were he to see me. But his job always brought the element of death. It's either kill or be killed. You see, my father was a hunter. He used to track beasts through countries, continents, until he found and slaughtered them all. And in less than a week, I will have to take his role._

_In my family, there is a tradition. A tradition that has been passed down for centuries. The eldest child of every generation, on his or her sixteenth birthday, will take the transformation. This transformation is different every time. Every generation it is a different form, to throw off the demons. My father, last generation's hunter, could turn into an eagle at will. My grandfather, Alfred Crowe, turned into a half-vampire. God knows what will happen to me._

_But these woods are special. My grandfather moved our family here because of the activity of the beasts. He brought my father out here to train for his duty. And my father did the same to me._

_-Flashback-_

"**Lil, come on!" daddy whispers. I run through the trees, my white hair trailing behind me, soundlessly gliding over sticks and stone alike. When I approach daddy he scoops me up and throws me over his shoulders. I giggle and he drops me onto a small boulder as he gets out the equipment for my lesson. A sword, a dagger, a bow, a sheath of arrows and finally, 10 bottles of wolfsbane. "Stay here Lil and I'll show you what to do, then if you think you understand you can have a try, ok?" I nod my head and beam at the power my daddy exerts, the king of the forest. "Yes daddy," I reply. **

**He climbs to the top of the nearest oak tree and hides, catching the scent of a mountain lion. I turn my head and find some elk grazing the grass in the clearing behind me. I signal to daddy and he touches each of his shoulders and pats under his head-the sign to sit still and stay quiet. He changes, enveloping in a beautiful golden light, and suddenly a bald eagle perches where daddy used to be. **

**The lion starts to stalk the herd of elk behind me, and whilst he does, daddy dives at him, changing as he falls, to land gracefully on the lion's back. Before it has time to react, daddy's silver dagger has been plunged into its neck. **

"**Yey daddy!" I shout, beaming with pride as daddy jumps off of the newly-dead lion. He snaps the creature's neck, just to secure his victory. "You happy I brought 'cha princess?" he smiles. "You betcha!" I giggle, mimicking his east-Texan accent. He grins at me and finally walks away from the carcass and picking me up, twirling in a circle and then placing me back on the ground.**

**Out of nowhere, a young man with jet-black hair and amber eyes steps out from behind a tree and claps his hands sarcastically. "Yes, well done, **_**daddy," **_**he says with a smirk, "bringing your only kin out into here. Don't you know what roams these woods?" He moves around my father to stand in front of me, checking my appearance, and calculating my health. "Of course I do Erik, **_**Draga mea orfane," **_**daddy gloats, as the man**, **'Erik', growls, "I do know, and I don't care. ** **Suntem mai puternici decât tine și toate rudele dvs!"**

**And with that, daddy pulls a bottle of wolfsbane out from his hunting jacket, and throws it at the demon standing in front of me. I take off through the forest, heading away from the demon's cries, daddy close on my heels. When I get back to the silver merc at the edge of the woods, I clamber into the passenger seat, jumping when daddy climbs in next to me and locks the door. "It is just me, **_**Draga mea fiică." **_**The engine roars to life and daddy speeds down the road, leaving the screams of agony behind us.**

**After a mile of driving, we reach home. I slam the car door and run inside to find mom making dinner in the kitchen. I go up to her and she gives me a hug (and a biscuit). "Enjoy your lesson little wolf?" she asks. "Yuh-huh," I reply with a grin, lolling my tongue out, mocking the nickname she gave me. Daddy saunters in, carrying the duffel bag, containing our weapons, over his shoulder. He dumps it on the table, earning a scowl from mom as she puts me back down on the floor. He bends down to meet me at eye level and smiles triumphantly. "And that, dear Lily, is how you kill a vampire."**

-End of flashback-

_I snap out of my daydream, smiling at the memory, and hear the school bell ring. I take a look at my surroundings. Huh. I seem to have made it all the way through the woods without realising. I start sprinting again, trying to push through the crowds before the latter of the students stampede through the open doors. Ugh, another day in hell…_


	3. 2 Hallucinations

_Once upon a December_

_**A/N: If anyone is reading this, can you please review or something, just to let me know that there are actually people reading this story. I feel so unloved :'(**_

_**So, here goes…**_

_Chapter two – Hallucinations_

_I run into Chemistry fifteen minutes late – as usual. The teacher, Mr Briggs, sighs and points to my desk. "Sit," he commands as I walk through the doorway. He always seems to do that… Weird. I sit down and throw my bag to the floor, pulling out my Chem 2 book and notes. "Lil, you ok? You seem quiet," Karma whispers to me. "Yeah, creepy dream, tell you later." Karma and I have been best friends since Year 7 when I got into a fight with a mean group of vamps, and saved her from their leader. _

_It was the first time dad had let me hunt on my own, but I wasn't nervous at all. But when a clan of five vamps surrounded me in an alleyway, I was petrified. Their red eyes looked me up lustily as I backed away and ran onto a field. "There's nowhere to run little girl!" one yelled at me. I was suddenly tackled and held to the ground by their leader, who licked his blood-stained lips and smiled, fangs bearing. "Aww, poor baby bird. Daddy finally let you out of the nest?" he leered, "Big mistake." He pulled my white hair from my face and put his lips to my neck, taunting me. I mustered up all the courage that I had left, and laughed. First an airy chuckle, then small, loud giggles and guffaws. I found that I couldn't stop. However, the leader didn't find it so funny… "What are you laughing at?!" he shouted. It just made me laugh harder. "Speak you insolent witch!" he yelled. I finally found some breathe and I managed to lift my head and whisper in his ear, "Y-You th-think you c-can d-defeat me!" I burst into laughter once again. Then strangely, he joined in with me. "Well you obviously don't recognise me," he whispered, pretending to be hurt. I looked into his bright blue eyes and kissed his lips gently. I wove my fingers in his hair as he cupped my face in his hands. He moaned and pulled me tighter against his chest. I replied in turn, kissing him harder and then pulled away, quicker than he'd have liked. I spun us round, so I was on top of him and kissed him again, hard. Then I rested my head on his shoulder, moved my lips toward his ear, as he held me close to him, and whispered, "Of course I do baby. How could I forget?" I felt him smile. Idiot. My voice become full of hatred as I sat up on top of him, and leered, "You're the [beep] who killed my grandfather." I grabbed the stake from out of my pocket and stabbed him directly in the heart. He turned into dust, right there, right then, letting out a small scream as I condemned him to the everlasting fires of Satan._

_When I stood up and brushed the ash off me, all of his minions ran away, leaving someone crying on the floor. I slowly walked up to her, and saw a girl, roughly my age, drenched in red. I gasped and she looked up. She had red everywhere, and I mean everywhere, her eyes, her hair, everywhere. I carried her back to my house and yelled for my dad. He ran in and when he saw her, whispered, "Oh god." _

_After mom cleaned her up, we saw that she had multiple bite marks and bruises covering every inch of her dark skin. But the thing that amazed me the most was her eyes. They were big, surrounded by thick, dark eyelashes, but they were purple. As in illuminous purple, with black edges. Her dark skin made them stand out even more. As did her long, black hair. "What your name hunny?" mom asked. "I-It's Karma, ma'am," she whispered. Mom looked at her, and then asked, "Who did this to you?" Karma shuddered at the memory. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," I butted in, before she started crying. She shook her head and spoke again, clearer this time. "The vampire you staked, Alec."_

_A brown hand waved in front of my face. "Hello? Earth to Lily Jefferson?" I snap back into reality to see everyone walking out of class. "How long was I out?" I ask, rubbing my eyes. Karma laughs melodically and winks at the boy standing in the hallway. "All lesson. You just passed out. Not enough sleep?" she says quickly. "Karm! For the love of god! Stop taking so damn fast! And yeah. I had a weird dream last night, and it drained me of my energy, ok?" Her eyes widen, and she raises one of her perfectly formed eyebrows at me. She purses her red lips and then drags me to the cafeteria. _

_The noise in there is terrible. The constant buzz of stick-like girls, yammering on about their latest boyfriend and how far they had gone with them. The roar of masochistic boys fighting over who 'scored' first. Karma hands me a cup and orders me to drink. I down it all, despite the burning sensation in my throat. _

_Then, the entire hall goes silent. I turn to find everyone's mouths moving, conversations being held, but I find myself excluded from the quabble of voices that stormed my head not 5 seconds ago. A man, dressed in black jeans and a Tee, stands in the clearing, his shaggy hair blowing in a non-existent breeze. His eyes, sparkling blue, fill with lust as he catches me staring. "Better?" he asks, his angelic voice soothing my migraine. I nod slowly, still unsure of whom this archangel is. "Good," he says with a gleaming smile. Wait a sec… Are those fangs? "I shall see you soon my love," he promises and then he is gone._

_The deafening din returns. But my head has stopped pounding, and Karma is shaking my arm. "YO! Earth to Lily Jefferson! What is up with you?!" she yells, snapping her fingers in front of me. I turn around and ask, "Karm, did you see that man?" She once again raises one eyebrow and smirks annoyingly. "What man? The only guys in here are these baboons," she replies, "Why? When'd ya see him? Was he cute?" "Trust you Karm," I say shaking my head, "Just now. I drank that coffee then everything went quiet and there was this guy standing in the middle of the hall! Then all of a sudden he just, disappeared!" Karm laughs and then pulls me out of the dining hall._

_I only understand our destination when she drags me into the school office and pushes me onto one of the beanbags. "Karm you butt! You know I can't get off of beanbags!" I shout as she approaches the main desk. "Yes?" the receptionist asks, straightening her blouse. Oh pur-lease! Anyone can see she's having it on with Mr Smith, the 26 year old hottie teacher. "My friend here is having problems staying concentrated, so may we be excused? She needs to get home, and she doesn't have her car," Karm rolls off her tongue. The receptionist tucks her shirt back into her skirt and fixes her hair and then shrugs. "Yeah, whatever, go ahead." Karm smiles and helps me up of the blasted chair. _

_She pulls me to her car and I get into the passenger seat. She turns in the engine and surprise, surprise, her Justin Bieber CD starts blasting out of her radio. I turn it off immediately and groan at her. "You do realise that one day I am going to break into your car and destroy that CD." She pulls out of the school gates and scoffs. "Yeah right Lil. Even if you did manage to get in my car, I'd know it was you and I'd hunt you down." I grimace, knowing that she's probably deadly serious. _

_She pulls into my house and just as I start walking towards the house, she yells, "Oh, and Lil', my brother just finished fixin' up another bike. He says that if you want, you can have it in exchange for that heap of junk you call a car!" I glare at her insult and then shout back. "I'll take it over at the weekend. Tell him, he'd better have my ride ready by 10 sharp!" She laughs, her amethyst eyes glittering. "Remember to sleep! If you've had hallucinations, then you really need some shut-eye!" I nod and she speeds out of the driveway as I saunter through the door. Stupid hallucination. Or was it?_


	4. Chapter 3-Stormy eyes and lullabies

Once upon a December

Chapter 3- Stormy eyes and lullabies

-Later that evening-

I awaken from my slumber to the sound of shouting. "Lily! Mom says to get your backside down here before she comes up and makes you!" my annoying little brother hollers from downstairs. I groan and pull on my grey sweatpants and my D&G top. I tie my hair in a messy bun on top of my head.

"LILY!" Mom yells. I run down the stairs silently and stand behind her as she bellows again. "LILY!" I tap her on the shoulder. "Yes mom?" I say innocently, like she hasn't just been screaming for 5 minutes. She jumps and spins around, yelping as she does. I giggle and then hear a throaty chuckle. I spin around and crouch, growling defensively at the 'intruder' to find the man from today watching my actions in amusement.

He looks even more god-like than before. He has changed into an outfit almost identical to mine-grey sweats, a white Tee and black sandshoes. The only difference between us is his dark hair, the perfect opposite to my white locks. His perfect blue eyes stare into mine, making me melt right through to my core.

Then he had to ruin it. "Stefan, this is my daughter Lily," Mom whispers. His gaze turns cold and distant as he turns to face her. "I am aware of who she is Elizabeth. She is your eldest kin, no?" he snaps. Mom nods and I growl at him again, but louder this time, as tears fill mom's hazel eyes. "You will NOT speak to my mother in such a manner!" I snarl. He looks at me, confused, and then his eyes widen as they meet mine. "Your eyes, they've changed colour," he says. I roll my eyes, blinking as I purposely change my eye colour from yellow, back to blue. Everyone in the room gasps as I reply in an aggressive manner. "Yes. It seems to do that when I get angry." I storm back up to my room, lock the door and windows and lie on my bed, face down, crying. I thought I had felt something. Guess I was wrong.

**Stefan's POV**

_Lily storms up to her room. I hear her lock her door and windows and drop onto her bed. "I'm sorry Elizabeth; I didn't mean to upset you, or your daughter. I snapped, and I shouldn't have. Poți să-mi, doamna mea ierta? "_**(A/N: Romanian.)**

"_Yes sir. I can. But would you mind waiting here a bit longer? I have to go see Lily, and then I need to tell her of the arrangements. Her birthday is in a week, and she needs to have everything ready," Elizabeth says in a rush. I nod and sit on a stool at the kitchen, admiring the photos of Lily with her beloved father, Jonathan. She looks so happy, so innocent. Then my damned brother Emilian had to get rid of him._

_I hear raised voices and then a small whimpering catches my attention. Lily's little brother, sitting on the stairs crying. I walk up to him slowly, making sure he knows of my presence. The last thing I want to do is make the situation worse. I crouch in front of the boy and look him in his teary eyes. "Thomas? Is that your name?" He nods and brushes his nut-brown bangs back off his small face. "Are you okay?" I ask. He shakes his head as Elizabeth and Lily start yelling again. A clap of thunder roars above the house and Thomas jumps into my arms. I hug him gently and attempt to soothe him. "Is it your mother doing this?" I inquire. I feel him shake his head and he murmurs something into my shoulder. "Not mom. Lily." "What?" I ask in confusion, "I thought the weather was your mother's gift." He lifts up his head and wipes his eyes clear of tears. "It is. But when Lily gets angry, this happens," he whimpers, hugging me again. "Has it ever been this bad?" He shakes his head. I hold him close and then set him back on the stairs. "I'm going to go get your mom out of there and try calming your sister down. Stay here, out the way, and I'll send your mom down here to stay with you." He nods and moves to the side to let me past. _

_When I reach the top of the stairs, the power of Lily's tantrum grows. A typhoon of hot air almost blows me off my feet and I cling to the bannister to stop myself falling back down the stairs. Thunder storms outside the windows and forks of lightening lick the dust-clad air. The lights flicker and when I finally get to the door leading to the source of the chaos, it stops. _

_I open the door to find Lily standing in the middle of the room, storm clouds swarming at her feet, waiting for their next command. She turns to look at me, and I gasp when I meet her eyes. Instead of the heart-warming blue, her eyes are now red. Two malicious pools of fresh blood, dripping down her white cheeks, staining her once pure hair with a colour so repugnant, it stinks of the anger and betrayal in her heart._

_I turn my head to find Elizabeth cowering in the corner. A bleeding cut covers her cheeks and descends to her neck. I run towards her and she flinches as I lick the wound, ending the bleeding and closing the gash. When I finish I help her to her feet and whisper in her ear, "Thomas is waiting for you downstairs. I'll calm her down. Don't worry." She nods weakly and scurries out of the room, closing the door behind her. _

_When I turn to face Lily, I find her on all fours, tears washing away the blood on her cheeks, her hair returning to normal. Her chest heaves with the grief and horror at her previous actions as she mutters under her breath. Her designer top, ripped to shreds, now falls on the floor, revealing a white bra. Slowly walking towards her, I hold my hands up, to show her that she's safe. _

_-Lily's POV-_

_Oh god. What have I done? I watch mom leave my room shaking. I glance up to see Stefan walking towards me with his hands raised. Oh god. I've even scared him! What have I done? _

"_Lily?" His angelic voice cuts through the silence like a knife through butter. I duck my head down, too afraid to look him in the eye. "Lily?" His voice is full of worry when it cracks, and it only makes me cry harder. His shoes are in front of me, and I know without thinking, that my body is heaving from the tears that are now streaming down my face. I feel my eyes turn back to blue, and collapse from all the energy unwillingly drained form my body. The last thing I feel is a strong pair of arms around me, before I lose consciousness. _

_-Stefan's POV-_

_I only just manage to catch Lily before she hits the ground. I pick her up gently, standing slowly as not to hurt her even more. I lay her on the queen-sized bed and take off my Tee. I wrap it over her chest and kiss her forehead. God she smells amazing. She flinches in her subconscious and I grasp her hand, finally letting the acidic tears fall down my face. The sting of pain crawling down my face is the only thing that stops me from running away. I wipe the teary traces off of her pale face. _

_I eventually stand up and sprint downstairs. I see Elizabeth hugging Thomas and stroking his hair. "Elizabeth. Can I speak to you in the kitchen please?" I ask. Elizabeth nods and puts Thomas onto the couch, leaving him to watch TV._

_She enters the kitchen and motions for me to sit down. I do, and then she sighs. "She's getting too wild," Elizabeth whispers, and tears form in her eyes. "I'm sorry Elizabeth. I can only imagine what this has been like for you. And I know that this sounds harsh, but after next week, you won't have to deal with this. And you won't have to worry; I'll protect her with my life." She nods and starts shaking whilst silently crying. I stand up and embrace her, trying to soothe her. _

_After 20 minutes of crying, Elizabeth finally wears out. "I'm going to miss her. She's still my little girl, no matter how hard she tries to deny it. She's always been my baby girl, but when her father was killed, she drew into herself. She doesn't listen to her heart anymore. She just listens to the slayer part of her. A-And it kills me to have t-to see her withdraw into herself that much. She's just a child. She doesn't know what she's doing," she rushes, wiping her brows and running a hand through her curls._

"_Lizzie, Lily's upstairs in bed. When she saw the state you were in, she snapped straight out of it. She collapsed and sobbed on the floor. She's completely blacked out. She doesn't want to hurt you, that much I can see. And I'm sorry. If I hadn't snapped at you, this probably wouldn't have happened." I reply. I hear a yawn from upstairs, and whisper to Elizabeth, "She's awake," before running upstairs._

_-Lily's POV-_

_I yawn when a faint breeze enters the room. "I know you're there. I felt you run in," I yawn to Stefan. I blink my eyes open to a searing light. I whimper and cover my eyes with one hand. The pressure on the other leaves and then Stefan whispers, "Is that better?" I attempt to open my eyes again to see that the curtains are drawn and all the lights are out except for a single candle on my bedside table. I nod my head and try to sit up. When my muscles groan in protest, he leans forward and slowly helps me into a sitting position. Something falls from my chest and Stefan averts his eyes. "Your shirt kind of partly-disintegrated when you collapsed, so I covered you with mine." I pick it up off of my lap and pull it over my head. When I finish, Stefan turns his head towards me and gives a sad smile. "What's wrong?" I ask. "Thomas is here," he says, and lets go of my hand to open the door, "I'll be outside if you need me."_

_He walks out the door and closes it behind him, leaving me alone with Thomas. He looks at me, unsure of what to do. I pat the duvet next to me and he smiles, the best smile I've ever seen. He runs toward me and I laugh, tears welling up in my eyes at the sight of my baby brother, all grown up and still running towards me like a toddler. He jumps on my bed and gives me one of his famous bear hugs. I laugh again and for a while we just sit, hugging and laughing._

_After a while, Thomas speaks. "Lily? Why were you and mom fighting?" he asks, the innocence of his will so overpowering that I hurt with emotion. _

"_Well, little bear," I start, ruffling his hair. He giggles when I use the nickname daddy used to use for him, and I can't help but laugh along. Even outside the door, I hear Stefan chortle at the joke. "When Mom and Dad first got married, mom was attacked by something. A demon. Well, a vampire, to be more specific." Thomas interrupts, "What? Is that why daddy used to take you out to the woods all the time?" I smile at the memories, and then continue. "Yes. Because I am the oldest, on my birthday I will complete the change into my full slayer. Now I am in training, but I am VERY good at it, if I say so myself." Another chortle from Stefan. "But, there is a price for this gift. If the slayer is male, he must find a suitable mate by the time he changes. For dad, it was mom. But, if the slayer is a girl, then she will be forced to live with a coven of vampires, becoming their food, and protector. For me, the coven is only one vampire, and so I am grateful. But I still have to leave my whole life behind to go and live with one of the same creatures that killed dad. And I was angry at mom cause she didn't tell me," I sigh, and hear Stefan do the same. WE are so in unison, it's actually becoming slightly freaky. "IS it Stefan? That you're going to live with?" Thomas asks eagerly. "Yeah kid, it is." He smiles and replies, "Good," which confuses me for a moment. Then he grabs a piece of paper from my bedside table and then writes down in his own messy handwriting:_

**He loves you, you know. I could see it when he looked at you. And you love him. You don't know it yet, but I do.**

And then he continues to say, "He'll take care of you. If he doesn't I-I-I'll turn into a bear, and bite his hand off!" he says, his voice rising to a small shout at the end of the sentence. I giggle again, and then laugh even harder when Stefan yells through the door, "OK! OK! I won't hurt her! Don't hurt me, almighty little bear!" He laughs at the end, and so does Thomas.

I check my alarm clock, and yawn. Thomas follows and I ask Stefan to come in. "Thomas, you need to go to bed. It's 11:30, and you have school in the morning," I say, and smile at him. "Goodnight little bear," I whisper. He pulls away and totters into his room.

-Stefan's POV-

I sit on the side of Lily's bed and stroke her hair as she closes her eyes. She smiles at me, and opens her eyes one more time. "D-Do you know any lullabies?" she asks quietly. I smile back, a real smile, and she returns it. "Of course I do," I whisper, too marvelled at her beauty to say anything else. She coughs, breathe catching in her throat. I grab her hand whilst she chokes and help her sit up. "C-Could you s-sing one for me?" she asks when finished. I nod, and then flick through all the melodies I know, searching for the perfect one. I find it, and begin to sing.

**Dancing bears, painted wings/ Things I almost remember/ And a song someone sings/**

**Once upon a December/**

**Far away, long ago/ Glowing dim as an ember/ Things my heart used to know/**

**Things it yearns to remember/**

**And a song someone sings/**

**Once upon a December/**

"_I know that song. Where is it from?" Lily asks yawning. I smile at her again, bursting with joy when she does the same. "Someone I used to know would sing it on a night-time," I reply. "It sounds familiar. Like I know it from somewhere," she whispers, pondering. Looking at her now, I can still see traces of my Sofia in her eyes. The warmth protruding from them, even when sad, reminds me of her. _

_-Lily's POV-_

"_It doesn't matter," he answers angrily. He looks at me, and all the warmth from his eyes has been replaced with a bitter hardness, preventing me from reaching out to him. For the first time, I feel fear when looking at him. "I'll let you get some sleep," I hear, and then he disappears from the room, leaving me with nothing but stone-cold tears, and a lullaby…_


End file.
